Explosive-engine.



W. K. BASSFORD.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

APPLIOATIOH FILED JULYs, 1912.

Patented July 28, 1914.

INVENTOR 4 I Am NEY WILLIAM K. BASSFORD, OF PERTH AMBOY, NEW JERSEY.

EXPLOSIVE ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July as, 1914.

Application filed July 5, 1912. Serial No. 707,683.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, VILLIAM K. BASS- ronn, a citizen of the United States,.and a resident of Perth Amboy, county of Middlesex, and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Explosive-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in explosive engines of that class wherein hydrocarbon or other suitable volatile fuel such as gasolene, kerosene, crude oil, alcohol, may be used.

In a more specific way it may be stated that the present invention relates to and aims to provide a practical organization of the engine and fuel supply system wherein liquid fuels of difi'erent'specific qualities, such as gasolene and kerosene, for example, may be employed, and the supply and temperature of the same as fed to the engine properly regulated.

I have found by long experiment that it requires a certain amount of air passing through an aperture in which is inserted a fuel nozzle to properly atomize the fuel;

that it requires a certain amount of heat to raise the temperature of this atomized fuel to a certain predetermined degree and that the proper way to keep this heated atomized fuel at said temperature is touse an indicator in the heated atomized fuel as it passes to the engine to indicate to the operator at once the correct temperature of the fuel and the possible necessity of regulating the heat of the fuel. I lay particular stress on the indicator being placed in the heated atomized fuel, for the reason that it is the temperature of this fuel that should be kept at the proper point. i

It is well known that fuels of different specific gravities require different temperatures for vaporization and by the present invention means are provided for heating the atomized fuel, for controlling the heat and for indicating to the operator the temperature of the fuel being supplied to the engine so that he may operate said heat controlling means, and, if desired or required, change from one fuel to the other.

he of the objects of the-invention is to provide such an apparatus as willindicate .to' the operator the temperature of the fuel being supplied to the engine so that the operator may govern the temperature of the fuel, andmay in certain cases, change from one fuel to the other, thereby enabling him to intelligentl and practically use hydrocarbons of di erent specific gravities.

Other objects will appear from the hereinafter description. I

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference character indicates the same part in the several views.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention, certain parts being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a detail view of one end of the heater shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view of a modified construction of ,certain of the elements shown in Fi 1. Fig.4 is a view of still another modification.

Referring specifically to Figs. land 2 of the drawing, the part marked A represents the engine and B an exhaust pipe leading therefrom to the outer end of which is connected one end of the heater C. Extending through the otherend of the heater, and near the outlet end of the exhaust pipe C, is another exhaust pipe D, having a damper or valve E, preferably near the inner end thereof, and provided between the chamber and the end of the heater with a series of perforations d. The shaft e of the valve E extends outside of the heater, and is provided with an operating handle F, carrying the locking lever f, which engages the ratchet f to hold the damper in a set position. G is a coil of pipe inside the heater, and between the coils may be arranged a series of perforated bafiies, P. To the end 9 of thiscoil, G, is connected a carbureter J, which is connected by a pipe K to a kerosene supply. The supply of kerosene fed to the carbureter is governed by the needle valve j, the nozzle end of which extends into the air inlet pipe 9', which is connected to, the pipe g. To the other end, 9 of the coil G is connected the pipe Q, which leads to the engine, and through which the atomized heated fuel is supplied to the same. Gonnected to this supply pipe Q, is another carbureter, M, which is connected by the pipe N to the'gaso'lene supply, which is governed by the needle valve m. 0 is an auxiliary air supply valve located in the pipe Q, adjacent to the carbureter. Located in the pipe Q and preferably between the carbureter If and the heater G. although it may be located in the heater itself, is an indicator, 10, which may be a mercurial ther- "which the apparatus is to operate. By using the adjustable pointers so marked, the extreme temperatures may be adjusted as desired, and depending somewhat upon the grade and character of fuels used.

vThe operation of the apparatus is as follows: The valve E is turned crosswise of thepipe B to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, and held in that position by the locking lever f, carried by the operating handle F. The engine is now started on gasolene by opening the needle valve M, the exhaust from the engine passing out of the pipe B, with the valve E in the said dotted line position, willjcirculate through the perforated baflle P, around the coil G, through the perforations 6 into the pipe B, and out through the end of the said pipe, causing the temperature of the air entering through the pipe 9', and passing through the coil G, to quickly rise. When the temperature of the .air as it passes through the pipe Q, reaches the point H, marked on the indicator 10, kerosene is supplied by opening the valve j, and gasolene is cut off by closing the needle valve m. If the temperature indicated re-- with the exhaust, passing out directly through the pipe D. When the engine is operating under said conditions, should the temperature of the kerosene passing through Q fall approximately to the point marked L, the operator will turn the valve E crosswise of the pipe, as hereinabove referred to, by operating the handle or lever F, whereupon the exhaust through B is caused to circulate around the coil G and through the perforationsd, and out of the pipe D, the temperature of the kerosene passing through Q should now rise, and when the temperature reaches or begins to reach the temperature indicated by H, the valve E is again operated by the operator as hereinbefore described. Should, however, when the operator closes the valve E the temperature of the kerosene fuel passing through the pipe Q continue to lower, and reaches the point L, the operator turns on the supply of gasolene by opening the needle valve m, and cuts off the kerosene supply by closing the valve 7', and operates the engine on gasolene until the temperature of the air passing through the pipe Q rises to the temperature indicated by H, when kerosene can be again turned on and gasolene turned off, and the valve E operated as required under the conditions hereinabove described.

By the apparatus just described, the operator has before him an indicator which at all times will indicate to him the exact temperature of the fuel passing through the pipe Q and being supplied to the engine, whereby he can govern the said temperature as required, or change from one fuel to the other as the said temperature justifies.

In Fig. 31 have shown a modified construction of the indicator; In this case I place in the pipe Q an ordinary two-legged thermostat, 20, and locate adjacent to the same a scale, 21, properly graduated and prominently marked with the letters H, T and L as hereinabove referred to.

In Fig. 4 I have shown another form of indicator, 30, which may have a face or dial, 31, properly graduated and marked prominently with the letters H, T and L, and provided with a finger or pointer, 36, which will point to the temperature of the fuel passing through the pipe Q; and when the pointer is at the parts marked H, T or L, the operator will know whether or not to change the direction of the exhaust, or to change from one fuel to another. In some cases the indicator may not be conveniently located Where the operator can observe it. In this case, the wires 22, 23, 24 and 25 may be connected to the indicator as shown in Fig. 3, and lead to a battery and to an annunciator, or bell alarm, not shown, so that when the temperature of the fuel passing through thepipe Q reaches either one of the points H, L or T, the operators attention is called to the same and he may manipulate the apparatus according to the required indication as hereinbefore stated. In Fig. 4 I have'shown the wires 32, 33 and 3 1 connected to the indicator and lead 'to the battery, and an alarm, not shown, for the same purpose.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, an

internal combustion engine, a heater, a fuelconductor within the heater, a liquid. fuel supply connected to one end of the fuel conductor, a pipe connected to the other end of the fuel conductor and extending to the engine, a carbureter connected to the latter pi e, an indicator connected to thelatter pipe etween the engine and the heater for indicating the temperature of the fuel passing I from the heater, and a valve operatively reof said pipe, said carbureter bein lated to the last-named conductor to cause the course of travel of the exhaust gases to be varied.

2. In a device of the class described, an internal combustion engine, an exhaust pipe leading therefrom, a heater connected to the exhaust pipe, another pipe extending into the heater, said pipes being operatively related to'the heater and each other to provide different courses of travel of the exhaust gases within the heater, a valve for controlling said courses of the exhaust gases, a coil inside of the heater, a carbureter connected to one end of the coil to supply a fluid fuel through said coil, a pipe connected to the other end'of the coil and extending to the engine, and an indicator connected to .7

the latter pipe, said indicator graduated or marked to indicate the temperature of, the heated fluid passing through said pipe, whereby the operator may at the indicated temperature operate said valve as and for the purpose set forth[ 3. In a device of the class described, an internal combustion engine, an exhaust pipe leading therefrom, a heater having one end thereof connected to the free end of said exhaust pipe, another pipe extending into said heater and'having a valve therein, a coil inside of said heater and surroundin said pipe, a carbureter connected to one en connected to a source of supply of liquid fuel of a certain specific gravity, a pipe connected to the other end of the coil and extending to the engine, a carbureter in said pipe, said carbureter being connected to a liquid fuel supply of diflerent'specific gravity from the first fuel supply, an. indicator in said pipe between the heater and the second mentioned carburetor, said indicator being graduated and marked to indicate various temperatures of the fuel passing through said pipe whereby at a predetermined temperature the operator may operate the said valve and also operate the carburetersto change from one to another fuel as desired.

4.-In a device of the class described, an internal combustion engine, an exhaust pipe leading therefrom,-a heater having one end.

thereof connected to the exhaust pipe, a pipe extending throu h the other end of the heater with its inner end adjacent to the outlet end of said exhaust pipe, a valve in the latter pipe, said pipe having a series of perforations in that part within the heater,

a coil inlthe heater and surrounding said latter pipe, an operating handle connected to the valve whereby the valve can be turned to permit the exhaust to pass directly through the pipe, or turned crosswise of the pipe to cause the exhaust to pass around the coils and through the perforations and out of the latter pipe, a carbureter connected to one end of the coil, said carbureter being connected to the kerosene supply, a valve in the carbureter to govern the supply of kerosene, a pipe connected to the other end of the coil and supplying fuel to the engine,.a carbureter in said supply pipe, said carbureter being connected to a gasolene supply, a valve in the carbureter to govern aid sup ply, an indicator in the supply pipe between the heater and the last mentloned carbureter, said indicator consisting of a ther' mometer orfthermostat having marks .therenected to said indicator and forming apart thereof, whereby the operator can observe the temperature of the fluid passing through the said pipe, operate thevalve and turn on and govern the fuel supply according to the temperature indicated, as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a device of the class described, an internal combustion engine, an exhaust pipe leading therefrom, a heater having one end thereof connected to the exhaust pipe, a pipe extending through the other end of the heater with its inner end adjacent to the outlet end of said exhaust pipe, a valve in the latter pipe, said pipe having a series of perforations in that part within the heater, a coil in the heater and surrounding said latter pipe, an operating handle connected to the valve whereby the valve can be turned to permit the exhaust to. pass directly through the pipe, or turned crosswise of the pipe to cause the exhaust to pass around the sene, a pipe connected-to the other end of the coil and suppl ing fuel to the engine, a carbureter in said supply pipe, said carbureter being connected to a gasolene supply, a valve in the carbureter to govern said supply, an indicator in the supply pipe between the heater and the last mentioned carbureter, said indicator consisting of a thermometer or; thermostat having mark thereon-to indicate a high, low and intermediate temperature, adjustable pointers connected to said indicator and forming a part thereof, whereby the operator can observe the temperature of the fluid passing through the said pipe, operate the valve and turn on and govern the fuel supply according to the temperature indicated, and a series of wires connected to said indicator and adapted to be connected to an alarm or annunciator, as

and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a device of the clas described, an internal combustion engine, an exhaust pi e leading therefrom, a heater connected to t e exhaust pipe, a fuel-conveying ipe extending through the heater, means or changing the direction of the passage of the exhaust through the heater and around the fue1-conveying pipe, a liquid fuel supply connected to one end of said pipe, the other end of the pipe being connected to the engine, through which heated fuel is supplied to the engine,

'another fuel supply connected to said pipe between the engine and heater, an indicator extending into the pipe and into the path of which heated fuel is supplied to the engine said indicator, being marked to indicate predetermined temperatures, whereby the operator may observe said temperature and change the direction of the exhaust in the heater and regulate the fuel supply to the engine.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand at the city, county and State of New York, this 27th day of June, 1912.

WILLIAM K. BASSFORD.

In presence of JOHN ,J. RANAGAN, ISABEL R. RICHARDS. 

